We recently received a pair of Arcopedico Footwear shoes to try out. According to the company, the shoes are “the most comfortable shoes on earth.”

Well this just might actually be true! They feel so light, yet offer a ton of support, with an “anatomic insole formulated to give metatarsal support and a specific stability for the heel has twin supports to maintain the correct angle of foot arch support.”

The upper part of the shoe is woven from a continuous nylon fiber thread giving a guarantee of unlimited durability. Even the volumetric density for correct blood circulation and total foot coverage is tested before these babies go out. The other thing about these shoes we noticed, is they don’t need to be broken in at all! Normally when you go walking around, even short distances, in new shoes you definitely have to suffer. Not with these.

In a normal shoe the total weight of the body rests on three points only. This often causes pressure to the arch of the foot, as well as the big toe curvature, causing blisters and calluses. With “Arcopedico footwear” the foot rests on the whole surface area of the insole. Consequently, there is less tiring of the foot arch and the elimination of blisters and callouses. If blisters are an issue for you, imagine with WalkGoo and these great walking shoes, how great your feet will feel!

Although the functionality is great, the style will definitely not jive with everyone, but if your feet want to feel the freedom of these shoes, maybe give them a try!

The Zone
This week I’ve found my ears perking-up at so many interesting Olympic tidbits as I try to catch the action from Sochi every chance I get. I grab at these tidbits like Dixie cups of water during a long hot race, tossing the contents into my thirsty mind to hydrate what I’ve got to work with, while running at the best pace I can muster on my own “athletic journey”, which, as a mom on a “comeback” from a couple decades of uber-intense baby years, (which in my case preceded the current “age of enlightenment”, when help with all things are but a click away), feels like an epic “Olympic Odyssey”.

What? Me? Olympian? I mean my “herstory” of motherhood feels epic in its classic, almost clichéd backstory of “overcoming adversity”.

I know I’m not going for gold of the metallic kind, but a more elusive gold; the gold of a child’s hair in the sunshine for those precious years a mom gets to touch it at will; the glint of gold at the corner of a certain familiar smile which only shows that crown in the back when it’s the most genuine of happy moments, of real laughter or heartfelt song; the gold on the cold horizon as the sun breaks through thick bands of frozen hot pink, facing another bitter winter day as a human being who needs this moment bursting with gold to ignite the fuse on another try, another go at it, that takes so much energy & will, just to complete the tasks that barely keep the gears of our household from seizing-up like a tight calf-muscle charlie-horse… The remedy being the same: flex that foot! And flex the other, & keep those feet moving, and keep the flexing & flexibility going in the use-it-or-lose-it “keep focused” zone that defines this battle of trying to get & stay in shape faster than my aging-athlete, post-8-babies body can begin to break down!!
So, back to Sochi: here’s a tidbit or two: These short-track speed-skaters have 500lbs of G-force on each leg as they power around the curves. (If that’s not enough to cause a blister, idk what is!)
Also I learned this week that some of the alpine skiers forego socks, upon which I was informed by my own sons that they often play barefoot in their hockey skates during their games to have that extra “feel” with the ice. Heard some of the Olympic mogul skiers pack snow into their boots before slipping into them, to keep their feet from overheating! I picture the feeling of ice crystals on bare skin, rubbing raw on this hot little blister I have right now, (this one little spot that takes up too much of my sensory neural activity right now, just seeming to blaze on my ankle, right at my Achilles, though it’s only the size of the home button on my phone) & how that would feel in tightly-buckled racing boots… And I think, am I, indeed, “tough enough”?

Could a little old blister shut down my Olympic dreams? I’d like to think “nay-hay-hey!” But in the moment, could I be zen enough? Could I go into the zone where you feel no pain, that zone where athletes go. Those elite tough people: the hockey player who played the rest of the game with a taped broken hand or the ski racer who won the race after crashing hard in the training run, stressing a pre-injured knee; or the ice skater competing after coming back from disc surgery… That’s the zone I’m talking about… And yes, I know I could out-focus the sting of a blister, but I’m being metaphorical here..,

Any reasonably-fit & funly-enough-parented fifteen-year-old can huck himself fearlessly off a 30ft kicker, but it’s the 30-year-old who was in a knee brace & doing pt for a torn ligament last year & is now climbing onto the podium, with a different kind of tear & hardware, of that infinitely more desirable kind, who’s journey truly fascinates me.
What fascinates all of us is that minute gap of time, the mere hundredths of a second that mean the difference between the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat; the fate of feeling a thick disk of precious medal bumping heavy against a sternum rising with the drumroll of a winner’s heart thumping just below the surface… Or going home feeling empty-chested, perhaps feeling like every normal human being past the age of 29, who feels like maybe their best days are already behind them….

The zone where normal human beings become winners…

The zone is a place that we’d all like a ticket to.

And being tough in the zone fascinates me.

I’m sure an Olympic athlete wouldn’t let a little thing like a blister impede their dreams… I’m sure they don’t get blisters by the time they are the level they are! And I’m sure if they did get one, they’d be so “In The Zone” that they wouldn’t notice til they peeled off their bloody sock after the race, heavy medal dangling from their neck.

I may not have achieved the echelon of that toughest caliber of athlete, the elite, but I do possess The Dream. And I will always keep seeking to find “The Zone”… Perhaps it, too, is not just purely mythical, and perhaps I, too, can attain the level of legendary focus & execution of skill one day, even if it’s been relegated from the glare of the shining ice to the dim of the gleaming yoga studio, or the slushy slog thru snowy sidewalks on winter jogs, my dreams still burning deeply in my heart, my desire to fly, a Swan-to-be I always will be!

Kate D. is a guest-blogger & proud mom of 8 beautiful “swans”, her kids, her greatest accomplishment & the main thing about her worthy of mention. She has two gold medals from state competition in velvet boxes. But her golden children are out shining the sunshine & laughing & playing happily, & that’s all that matters… That’s the zone.

We tend to go into hibernation this time of year, which leads to inevitable winter weight gain. The blame is usually assigned to the dreaded “Curse of the Slower Winter Metabolism,” but inquiring minds want to know: Does your metabolism really slow down in winter?

Not exactly. Contrary to popular belief, during the winter, your metabolism actually increases. The body is a very adaptable machine, and it adjusts your metabolic rate according to its workload. When your body is exposed to cold temperatures, it exerts more energy to keep you warm, which means the metabolic rate actually rises.

The winter hibernation weight gain stems from staying inert indoors, avoiding the cold in lieu of takeout-delivery apps, and Netflix marathons. Winter months weight gain is usually attributed to less exercise, heavier meals, and less water. Colder weather means staying in, eating the great harvest of root vegetables and meat while drinking less water. Our body isn’t releasing electrolytes from perspiring, so it’s not signaling the brain that it’s thirsty.” Heavier foods + less movement + less hydration = a slower metabolism.

However, there are some easy steps you can take to give your metabolism the little boost it needs to help you burn fat and stay active this winter:

1. Eat in Season

In winter, nature provides us with more warming foods, such as root vegetables, cabbage, squashes and pumpkins, Brussels sprouts, kale and collard greens, onions, radishes, etc. Find out what’s seasonal for where you are. When you eat with the seasons, you actually help your metabolic rate (thanks mother nature!).

2. Stay in Bed

Take advantage of your natural impulse to stay under the covers when it’s cold out: Too little sleep can mess up your metabolism, and about 60% of us don’t get enough shut-eye anyway. Interesting fact: even short-term sleep deprivation can make healthy people process sugar as if they were diabetic. Get enough sleep so that your body can efficiently metabolize the glucose you consume.

3. Be inspired by the Winter Olympics

Don’t spend too many hours on the couch watching Charlie White twirl Meryl Davis around the rink, get out and try some of their movies. Take advantage of seasonal activities, and be inspired by your favorite Winter Olympians. Try dropping one gym workout a week and add a winter sport—ice skating, snowshoeing, or skiing. It’s great to mix it up and hey, you may be ready when the 2017 Olympic trials roll around.

4. Zen it out

Stress can do more than make you feel crazy — it can actually slow down your metabolism. The stress hormone cortisol is the culprit: when levels are too high, it inhibits your body’s ability to burn fat. Take a few moments to breathe deeply or go to yoga to keep your metabolism in check. Namaste!

The beginning of a new year is the perfect opportunity to reflect on a few things you might want to improve or be conscious of. Here are six easy-to-follow resolutions promised to turn your health and happiness around in 2014.

1. Embrace JOMO

The Huffington Post last week declared 2014 to be the year of JOMO- the Joy of Missing Out. As a backlash against the trendy term “FOMO,” (Fear of Missing Out) this new term is a rebellion against saying yes to everything, and is about giving yourself the time to do whatever you want to do. Let 2014 be the year you find joy in missing out on what all your friends are doing, and use that time to do what truly makes you happy.

2. Balance Your Life

The key in achieving the happiest and healthiest life is to find a balance between all the parts that consume it. Work, school, family, friends, working out… sometimes it’s hard to find the time to manage it all. Spending time with family or working out get pushed to the back burner, because we usually don’t make enough of an effort to plan them. Just as you have specific hours for work or school, schedule specific hours for the other things in your life that are important to you.

3. Mix it up!

We all know that doing the exact same workout can stall results and lead to plateaus . . . yet we stick with what’s familiar because, well, it’s familiar. Let 2014 be the year you jump out of your comfort zone and jumpstart your fitness! That means yogis going hicking, cross-fitters doing pilates, and runners doing yoga. Try something new and you may just surprise yourself – and see some great results!

4. Do Something You’ve Always Wanted to do

What do you want to cross off your list? Maybe you’ve always wanted to take a tennis lesson… or try rick climbing… or ballroom dancing. 2014 is the time to take it off the to-do list and actually DO IT! You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and hopefully find a new hobby.

5. Embrace Nature

Even if it’s as simple as a walk in the park, spending time in nature does wonders for your soul and happiness factor! Observe the birds chirping, the sun shining, the trees swaying, and the stream flowing. Embrace the sights and sounds of nature.

6. Connect In Person

Put down the cell phone, tear yourself away from the iPad, log out of Facebook, and meet up with a friend in person. Sometimes, all it takes to boost your spirits and increase your happiness factor is face-to-face time with a friend. Engaging in a face-to-face conversation and seeing their verbal and non-verbal cues that shows they really care does wonders for any bad day!

Not many folks running races in Wisconsin this time of the year… but it will be a nice day on Sunday, December 29 at 7:30 am, when the first San Diego Holiday Half Marathon begins. The start is in Rancho Penasquitos at the Albertson’s parking lot and the finish is at Torrey Pines State Beach. It is a fairly flat course with a total elevation drop of 700 feet. Come on out to the finish line at the beach and join us in welcoming the runners home. We will also be at the Expo on Saturday, December 28, in the RoadRunner Sports parking lot. For those in the area, stop by and enjoy the festivities and get motivated for a great 2014.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year . . . With all the Christmas lights and dashing music, the holidays truly are a wonderful and joyous part of our winter months. But amongst the colder temperatures and the hustle and bustle of the busy holiday season, we often find ourselves enjoying more treats and skipping out on exercise.

Here are six tips to keep you motivated this Christmas.

1. Embrace morning workouts

As your free time begins to fill with shopping, cooking, and spending time with loved ones, it’s hard to find time to go to the gym. Plan time every morning, even if its just 20 minutes, to get a quick, focused workout in. Research shows that when you start your day making healthy decision, you’re more likely to make healthy decisions throughout the rest of your day. Plus, endorphins are the best way to counteract holiday stress.

2. Go Outside

Don’t let the colder temperatures keep you stooped up inside the house. Bundle up and go ice skating, skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, or even for a walk . . . anything that gets your heart rate up is good for you. These winter activities are fun and festive, you’ll love the fresh air and sunshine so much you’ll forget you’re getting a workout in!

4. Get a Buddy

The best and surest ways to make sure that you don’t miss a single workout and stay motivated over the holidays is to enlist a fitness partner. Grab your best friend or even your mom and schedule your workouts together, ensuring that you both stick with the plans and keep each other enthusiastic and driven.

5. Drink Water

This one may sound obvious, but with all the peppermint hot chocolate, eggnog lattes, and sparkling cider around, we tend to choose these yummy drinks over a nice class of H2O. Staying hydrated is key in feeling healthy, happy, and focused.

6. Leave the Cookies for Santa

It’s impossible to avoid all of the delicious holiday treats, but portion control is crucial in making it through the holidays without losing sight of your health and fitness goals. Never show up to a holiday party hungry. Have a high-protein snack before you head out the door so that you can happily taste a few treats, without engulfing a whole plate of cookies.

The Ragnar Trail Relay format combines running with friends, camping and access to some of the most beautiful trails and destinations in the country. It is designed to challenge both experts and novices. Just like a road relay, anyone can do a Ragnar Trail Relay… if they train for it!

The Dirt Devils, a local San Diego Ultra Running Community had a team in this race and here are their thoughts:

-Super fun event with plenty of steep hills to challenge any level trail runner. I was actually quite surprised how tough two of the three loops were, considering I expected 400 feet of total elevation gain, and it was closer to 4,200 feet with a 4-person or ultra team! The design of the course and how the different loops were integrated into the race were brilliant. It was clearly designed from the racer’s perspective.

-Very friendly, well organized event with no major issues that I was aware of . Considering all that was going on over a 2-day period, this was no small task.

-A special thanks to all the volunteers and an extra special thanks to the ones that sat through the chilly night out on the course. Hats off to you…you really made a difference.

-The signs used to mark the course were amazing at night. You really had to try hard to get lost or maybe just had way too much to drink! The One Miler marker signs were killer. Once you finally saw that marker, life was good again.

-The entertainment was great. The band played a great mix of music and they were top notch. I’m not sure who was drumming, but wow that’s talent. It was so cool when running at night, nothing to look at except your headlamp on the trail, but in the distance you could hear the band kicking out another solid performance to help set the tempo and keep your mind off the pain.

This is my favorite route to the top of San Jacinto Mountain overlooking Palm Springs. It is one of the shortest routes to the peak, but it is fairly steep with almost 800 feet/mile of elevation gain. The sign at the trail head says 5.2 miles to the peak (and 4600 feet of elevation gain), but nobody believes that. It feels more like 8.5 miles. It is also one of the few ways to get to the peak after the recent fire. Plan on spending a day to do the hike… as the road closes at the entrance to the campground around Thanksgiving and this tacks on more mileage. For more detailed information on this route: http://socalhiker.net/hiking-mt-san-jacinto-via-marion-mountain-trail/

Carl and I try to make the summit a couple times every winter in the snow….usually we encounter some deep snow and don’t quite make the summit before turning around. Make sure you are good with map/compass/gps before heading out when there is snow…but it is a lot of fun. You might see more deer than people. We even saw a huge pine tree fall over one year…and ya, it made a loud noise!

I grew up in Pennsylvania, so I never really got comfortable with San Diego winters…especially around the holidays. It is nice to be able to drive just 2 hours and be in the local mountains with colder weather and snow. Get out and enjoy some cold weather hiking this winter. You will be glad you did! And hey, be careful out there!

Longs Peak was the first campground my family stayed at last summer. Our summer started as a vacation and would eventually culminate in three weeks lived out of tents and a pick-up truck, once we decided that we wanted to stay in Colorado but hadn’t decided on a residence yet. During that summer, we lived in campgrounds by lakes and on mountains and in national forests, all over the state of Colorado. But Longs Peak was the first, and it was where we stayed before we were professional campers. We were only vacationers, recreational campers, visiting Colorado to attend a friend’s wedding.

We chose Longs Peak because of its proximity to the location of the wedding, so we had no idea that it was a campground usually occupied by serious hikers. Just across an access road from the Longs Peak trailhead, hikers usually stay at the campground so that they don’t have to make a late-night drive before they begin their early-morning ascent of the fourteener, a term given to mountains rising more than 14,000-feet in elevation. Longs Peak campground does not accept reservations, and we didn’t realize until later that we were incredibly lucky to have secured a camp-spot at the end of June, prime hiking season.

We paid $20 for the night, and 26 marked camping spots, complete with tent pads (more like shallow sandboxes), parking spots, and fire pits, surrounded a cinder-block building with men’s and women’s restrooms, which contained flushing toilets, sinks, and even mirrors. My husband grumbled that this wasn’t ‘real’ camping, but I was relieved for a sink at which to ready myself and our two children before the wedding.

The campground was, overall, extremely quiet. This was due to the fact that it was inhabited mostly with serious athletes, not families like ours, and they would all awake at approximately three in the morning the next day in order to reach the summit of Longs Peak and descend again in a timely manner. However, at the far end of the campground, a border was shared with a much louder camp- – presumably a day camp and/or party site for college-aged youth. It was hard to tell which, but our second night at Longs Peak, we were nearer this border and they were certainly quite lively later hours of the night.

Our second night at Longs Peak campground, we fell asleep at what I believed to be a rather late hour, due to the drunken revelries next door, but I soon awoke again to a noise outside our tent. I thought perhaps the 3-a.m.-ers were up, preparing for their hike. But, listening closely, I heard no speaking- – only shuffling, very near our tent, where no other campers ought to have been. I heard the sound of glass against plastic– Beer bottles rattling in our cooler. Amateur campers, we had inadvertently left our cooler outside our tent, not locked in our vehicle or in the bear boxes, and I found myself terrified that a bear had located our hot dogs and was now looking for a bigger snack– maybe people. I convinced myself that it was only a raccoon by imagining how irritated my husband would be if I woke him up, only to find that it was just a raccoon after all. This, kids, is very bad logic.

As the shuffling got closer and I could no longer pretend that it was only a large rodent, I awoke my husband. He wasted no time in telling me it was only a raccoon and to go back to sleep, until I shushed him long enough for him to hear the ruckus outside our tent. I was nearest to the zipped-shut door, and my husband reached over me to unzip the tent– right outside the threshhold rested a shovel, which my husband had left there in case we needed to scare away any bears during the night. The black bears of Rocky Mountain National Forest are trash bears, really no more than extremely large raccoons, and easy to frighten if their cubs aren’t in danger. My husband was prepared for this, hence the shovel.

But before he could unzip the tent, we heard heavy breathing, a silhouette against the vinyl, muffled metallic sounds– The bear was playing with our shovel.

My husband retreated back to his spot, having decided that he didn’t want to unzip the tent after all, and I was left with only about eighteen inches and a thin layer of vinyl between myself and what I presumed to be a murderous black bear. My husband and I lay there, clutching each other in fear, for half an hour while we listened to the bear play with the objects of our camp. My husband then conceded that this actually did count as ‘real’ camping. Our children slept obliviously, my daughter snoring loudly at one point and sending fresh waves of terror down my spine, as I thought it was the roar of a bear.

In the morning, we found that our food had been ravaged– Hot dogs and hamburger patties had been devoured, no remnants left. Chocolate bars meant for s’mores had been torn open, nothing left but coarse, black hair stuck to the wrappers. An unopened package of Kraft American sliced cheese was gone– every individual plastic wrapper intact, apparently painstakingly opened so that the bear could consume the cheese. Only the glass bottles of beer, cans of Slimfast, and carrots remained– and even the carrots had been opened and spilled onto the ground, before the bear apparently decided he preferred cheese and chocolate.

So do I, bear. So do I.

After lamenting that our chocolate was gone, and being chastised by my husband for caring more about that than the hamburger meat, we devoured our protein shakes and decided to have a go at ol’ Longs Peak itself. I should point out here that we were naught but tourists, who had only Slimfast for sustenance, two toddlers in flip-flops, no hiking shoes, and no professional gear whatsoever. We packed up our tent and moved our car across the road to the trailhead parking lot, which was full, so we parked on the street instead– as had about eighty other hikers, from the looks of it. We started our ascent with two enthusiastic children, and after about three switchbacks, we had two bawling, miserable children instead. Still, after about an hour’s hike– and lots of encouragement from the impressed professional hikers who passed us, sans-children– we made it to a beautiful footbridge overlooking a stream, where we rested and consumed more Slimfast before our descent. Seriously, plan on bringing gear and clearing up an entire day if you want to reach the summit of Longs Peak– but if not, the first mile or so is a pretty decent leisure-hike.

After our descent, we followed Highway 72 south to the town of Nederland, where we enjoyed some much-deserved lunch at Backwoods Pizza and re-stocked at B&F Market. However, we had learned our lesson: Always keep food locked up. You don’t want a bear to eat all your chocolate, and you also don’t want to risk causing a bear to be euthanized, which is park procedure for individual bears who have shown that they have a propensity for interacting with human beings.

My family stayed at Robber’s Roost on our second trip to Colorado; We were not weekend tourists any longer, but a family committed to living in the road until we met out a town that tickled our fancy. This involved a lot of aimless driving, with and without maps. We wound up at Robber’s Roost, at an elevation of 9,826 feet and up several switchbacks on the eastern slope of one of the ranges that spreads like a finger west from the main spine of the Rockies. We had just finished scoping out the town of Idaho Springs and were on our way to Winter Springs on the Western Slope, and we were concentrating intensely on the increasingly steep switchbacks. The thing about being on the steep eastern face of the mountain is that the sun sets disappears without much warning at all, and we weren’t paying much attention to the sun due to the focus that the road required of us. With the sun suddenly disappearing from view, we found ourselves forced to camp at the next available spot. This turned out to be Robber’s Roost.

Robber’s Roost is, as I mentioned, located on Highway 40 between Idaho Springs and Winter Park. It has 11 campsites, costs $16 a night, and has outhouses without running water. It’s next to a lovely stream, from across which one can hear the sounds of the highway.

Robber’s Roost was, bar none, the worst camping experience I have ever had, at least up until when we became homeless. This could be attributed to several things that are not the fault of the location: Our tent rod broke, my hands were submerged in icy water for twenty minutes, and we accidentally ate maggots. None of these things were caused by Robber’s Roost campsite itself. Now for the things that definitely had something to do with the location: Its elevation of 9,826 feet is only about 300 feet higher than Longs Peak, but it was much colder at Robber’s Roost for several reasons that had nothing to do with the weather or time of year. Its location on the steep slope means that the sun sets early, and the heavy foliage of the pine trees means that the camp sites get almost no sun at any time of day, so it never truly warms up there. And things cool down very quickly when nothing– not the rocks, the dirt, or the trees, much less the people– have been given a chance to warm up.

We had a miserable time. We found a spot and quickly set to work on the tent, wary of the fact that the sun had disappeared without much warning at all. However, a rod in the tent broke, and we wasted what little daylight we had left attempting to come up with a solution for the tent, rather than lighting a fire. By the time the tent was operational, it was raining and we were already quite cold, which is a miserable way to be when trying to light a fire. My husband sent me to the truck to get the supplies for dinner, and the kids to the tent to stay dry, while he experimented with the flammability of canned engine starter in the rain.

I found tin foil, our twenty-pound bag of potatoes, and carrots easily enough in the dark, but the tilapia hiding in our forty-gallon cooler proved a challenge. Very little ice had melted, but just enough that my hands were constantly enveloped by the frigid water as I dug through ice and other staples for the tilapia my husband wanted to cook for dinner. Twenty minutes later, my fingers were so stiff I couldn’t move them, and I sat in front of a very meek fire and refused to– and was unable to– do anything useful for the rest of the night. We ate fish with potatoes and carrots as close to the fire as we dared to get, and the children got covered in ash, and we slept the miserable, coldest night I’ve ever experienced.

We awoke early the next morning to cries of “Get back in your cars! It will charge!” from the highway. My husband and I unzipped the tent and poked our heads out, peering through the pine trees and across the creek at the highway. The first thing I saw were two construction workers dressed in orange, who seemed to be doing the shouting. Four or five cars were stopped on the road, as if in a traffic jam, and after a moment, a lanky, long-legged brown animal galloped aimlessly across the highway.

“Is that a donkey?” my husband asked, rubbing his sleepy eyes. A moment later we realized that it was an elk, and a moment after that, it made up its mind about which direction it was heading and charged across the highway towards us, disappearing into the thicket near our tent. I ducked back into the tent with the children, and my husband zipped the door shut, heading off to keep an eye on the elk’s activities.

Once the elk was gone, and as soon as the children could bear to emerge from their sleeping bags into the frigid morning air, we packed up our tent and our supplies: Namely, the can of engine starter, the wood we hadn’t used, and what was left of the potatoes. In daylight, we realized that there was something very wrong with our bag of potatoes: They were all infested with maggots.

In the darkness of the previous evening, we had unwittingly consumed maggots. Dazed and somewhat nauseated, we piled into the truck, cranked up the heater, and started up the switchbacks again, and I have never let my husband live down either the maggots or the horrendous attack-donkey incident.